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NEWS |
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Pistachios, in a nut shell Excerpt from June 2002 newsletter Patsy Flanigan
The little green nut that we love to snack on has a fascinating story. It is as though this little nut has been playing hide and seek with growers and the public. It is well known in the industry that Pistachio trees are alternate bearing. In other words, you get a large crop one year, and not so much the next. We can accept that, but the degree to which this happens is pretty unpredictable.
Why is that? Well, for starters, the trees are dioecious. That means that the male and female flowers are borne on separate trees. Many male trees are required for pollination and the wind needs to blow in the right direction at just the right time for a successful crop. Mechanical pollination has been developed, but this too is not totally dependable.
Pistachios demand long, warm, dry summers. But then, they want winters that are cold enough to give them the necessary annual chilling. Strong winds or weather that is too cold and damp in the Spring can interfere with pollination. A late Spring frost can kill a crop altogether.
When a pistachio tree has a bountiful crop one year, it seems to need to rest somewhat the next year, so even if all conditions are perfect, there still may not be a great crop the second year.
Historically, the best producer of pistachios was Iran. Even today, Iran produces two thirds of the world harvest. Early in the 70's California growers started to overcome some of the challenges and a new Pistachio industry was born in California. New equipment and methods helped California growers produce a larger clean shelled nut that has been well accepted by the public.
In the 80's, high antidumping duties were put on Iranian Pistachios. This has kept Iranian Pistachios out of the U.S. The California Pistachio Commission is focusing on getting the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers so that California pistachios can reach potential export markets. With more water now available in Arizona, our neighboring state has emerged as a grower of pistachios, as well.
With this new production, Pistachios have not been able to hide from us. See Flanigan Farms Pistachios nutrient content.
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